So, to finally answer the question: bears weigh more than you think, but less than you fear. The average person might guess a bear is 800 pounds. They’re not far off for a big grizzly, but a small black bear is closer to a large dog.
Here’s the ultimate takeaway: if you ever see a bear in the wild, don’t guess its weight. Run. Or better yet, make yourself look big and yell. Because whether it’s a 300-pound black bear or a 1,500-pound polar bear, you don’t want to find out the hard way. Just know that somewhere out there, a bear is currently trying to gain weight for winter, and it’s winning.
